North Woolmarket Elementary and Middle School

I would like to reply to the negativity that I viewed on this site... 1. Corporal punishment is by law allowed in all schools in Mississippi. North woolmarket sends home a consent form at the beginning of the school year for parents to opt in or out of c. punishment and would NEVER enforce it without calling a parent first. 2.Students receive 90 minutes over the minimum amount of physical activity required each week within their PE classes and recess. 3. students with special needs have a diverse curriculum and a wonderful group of teachers. I too have a special needs child who is VERY happy at this school! 4. There are no tests taught at this school. People who make comments like this are uneducated in the methods of the school and the implementation of curriculum. 5. High expectations are taught from the first day of kindergarten and although there are not a lot of elective classes taught there due to lack of federal funding, it is a wonderful experience for all involved! I would not send either of my children to a different school on the ENTIRE Mississppi Gulf Coast! North Woolmarket is the best by far! :)
--Submitted by a parent

I pray before you send your child to this school you will visit it first. The school looks great on paper because all it does is focus on test. There is little focus on development of a child as a whole with a lack of recess starting as young as 1st grade, no music or art classes in the lower grades, and children are disciplined like our parents, corporal. Current brain based research shows recess, discussing new material during class with peers, and positive behavior systems create well rounded students who do not need to be taught the tests, they know the material because they learn to love learning. Had I left my children here, they would have begun to loathe school just as most of their peers there do.
--Submitted by a parent

I completely agree with the last review. The school looks good on paper, but being involved in the school is a different story. This school has one objective and that is maintaining high scores. If you have a child with special needs (autism) please find an alternative school. As a parent of an autistic child I have had zero success in collaboratively working with the teachers & principal. If your child needs any special accommodations or individualized education it will be not be addressed here. The current principal of the school tends to view things in black or white. A child fits into regular education or they belong in a self contained classroom. A child with diverse needs, who falls somewhere between the two settings, is not properly supported and will fall through the cracks. Unfortunately, best practices in educating a child with autism are absent here. If the principal doesn t view your child as a source for keeping high test scores then your child will only be viewed as a problem. There are some very good teachers in this school, but I can t say that about all of them. Teachers who choose not to communicate with a parent are protected by the principal.
--Submitted by a parent

this school only cares about the test scores. they are not concerned about the children in any shape way or form, the principal doesn't even have any clue as to what is going on in her school. my child went to this school for kindergarden and first grade and during first grade i pulled her out and paid tuition to a neighboring city. i sent her back for fourth grade and she is now in fifth. i will most likely not be sending her back next year for sixth grade on up. this is a snooty school and if you are a family who lives day by day, paycheck by paycheck then your child will have a hard time. they do nothing about children picking on other children and if a child says someone did something they just take the childs word for it instead of investigating what happened. there is no extracurricular activities at this school. library once a week, pe four days a week and recess once a week. and this is happening with all classes at the same time. How does the pe teacher keep track of that many children at once? they can't and therefor kids are getting hurt with no remorse from the staff or school.
--Submitted by a parent

We moved here this past summer and were impressed with this school on paper. However, once we stepped foot in the door things went down hill quickly. This school is totally and completely focused on academic test scores and nothing else. No art, no music, maybe once weekly recess. They are force feeding children data and asking for it to be spewed right back on test after test after test. On the night before the first day of school I met the teachers and offered to come into the classroom to help out with art or other projects and I was told, "We don't have time for that." The principal and her office staff are not available and don't care about your input if it differs from their plan. We ran for the hills. We lasted 4 weeks, all the while my boys came home in tears and I tried to figure out what we were going to do. We now pay tution to a neighboring school district. Also, there is no diversity in this school at all. We were shocked to walk in and see that all the children look exactly the same.
--Submitted by a parent

Ok I am an eighth grade student at NW. The school is great academically, and most teachers are nice (unless your child acts up), but the principal we have now says all of this stuff when really she does nothing she promises to do. Also it is true that sometimes things get in the school that shouldn't. People are also right when they say it doesn't have that many things to do outside of the classroom like art and choir.(WE used to have choir and I was in it but the choir teacher switched schools.) Also, one specific secratary is mean and never seems hat she wants to deal with you. All our principle is concerned about is our scores and grades! But overall this is probably the best school you could send your child to by far. btw... all of the other comments are mostly true.

If you are upper middle class, the parent of a cheerleader or sport player, or have a child that scores high with little effort then you probably absolutely love this school. However, if you have a child who struggles just to pass this school could prove to be more than you can handle. The principal only seems to care about dress code and test scores, the teachers aren't about to contact a parent for any reason, and the students are stifled by the pressure to score high on district and state exams.
--Submitted by a parent

No Music, No art only one day of recess which can and will be taken away if pulled cards. No way for them to earn cards back Can't talk at lunch. No individuality. EVERYONE must look and dress the same. Push for testing and books but not allowed to have fun. Learning is no longer fun at this school . Drill, Drill, Drill is all they do. Wish they would lighten up and not run a military school. Principal nit picks beyond belief and is not in the interest of the kids but being the top testing school for money. Oh yeah they barely allow parents the involvement with the school inless you are bringing in money for them. Think I am done. Can't wait to be stationed out of here for school reasons.
--Submitted by a parent

this school is amazing once you get past all the work and join a few activities, i belive this school is a greta place to learn creativity and even music even though that its only allowed for 6th grade and up its awesome because it keeps you straight and out of trouble. i'm one of the students in the choir and we are not funded and thats why its not school wide and it was founded by the best teacher who always thinks of ways to be creative like in vocab. and now that ill be gone next year i'm really goin to be down because nwems is the best school i've been to and the teachers really care about us so yeah its the best to me.!!!
--Submitted by a student

I think the school is great, but there is a lot of stuff that teachers don't see that kids are doing. It's a little aggravating to have 4 weeks tests, 8 weeks tests, and 9 weeks tests every 9 weeks. And that doesn't count the extra tests the teachers give us and the MCT2. It would be great if we had an art class or something. Kids end up getting bored and therefore are ending up doing drastic things.
--Submitted by a student